Cooking Seasonally: December

Lots of produce goodness in season this December and Brussels Sprouts are at the top of my list. They are my favorite vegetable hands down.

 Fun fact: Brussels sprouts are the only craving I had during any of my pregnancies.  

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Here are 3 of my favorite ways to serve them:

Easy: Carrabbas Style

What you need:

4 pieces of sugar free bacon

Brussels sprouts

Lemon

What you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. Cook your bacon in a dutch oven and reserve

3. Wash and halve your Brussels sprouts

4. Crank up the heat and stir fry your Brussels Sprouts in the bacon grease until they get a little char 

5. Put the lid on and pop in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until they are as soft as you prefer.

6. In a separate bowl, toss Brussels sprouts and crunched up the bacon; squeeze a lemon over them, stir and serve immediately.

Easier: Stir Fried

What you need:

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Brussels Sprouts

Minced garlic

Garlic salt

What you do:

1. Heat the pan on high heat, add the EVOO and let it get shimmery.

2. Wash and halve your Brussels sprouts

3. Add your Brussels sprouts being careful of splattering oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Adjust the temp as necessary to get a good char but not burn.  Cook until desired softness stirring constantly. Add in the garlic for the last minute being careful not to burn it.

Easiest: Roasted and tossed with balsamic reduction

What you need:

Brussels Sprouts

Balsamic Vinegar

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Wash and halve your Brussels sprouts

3. Roast until desired doneness and make reduction while roasting ( bring 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a gentle boil, reduce heat to simmer. Stir frequently - it's done when it's reduced and coats your spoon.)

4. Toss roasted Brussels sprouts in sauce and serve

What's your favorite Brussels sprouts recipe?  I'm looking for a good one with pomegranate seeds!

{Cooking Seasonally} Kale Edition

I'm starting a new series to post our favorite recipes by season called Cooking Seasonally!

We're fighting for our best health by being proactive about our diets.  Gut health is a huge way to boost immunity, and to make eating our fruit and veg more fun, we focus on eating seasonally.  This gives our kids a wide variety of produce to try and makes it special since we look forward to what's in season. I love sharing this tradition around the table as we learn to try a wider variety of fresh produce.

November has some of our favorites (apples, broccoli, pears, cabbage, and kale to name a few) - want the whole list?  Sign up for my Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/6fa9c696734d/fasterwaywithrobin

Here are two of our favorite kale recipes:

Kale Salad from Urban Organic Gardener - we also add in other seasonal veg (here we have shredded carrots and broccoli)

Tuscan Bean Soup:

What you need:

2 lbs lean turkey breakfast sausage (mild Jennie-O)

1 c shredded carrots

6 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 c onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans of cannellini beans with liquid 

6 c chicken broth

2 c kale

Brown Rice Pasta Spirals (Tinkyada)

What you do:

1. Simultaneously brown meat in large pot (reserve on a plate) and in a separate pot, cook pasta according to directions.

2. Add veg to meat pot at med-hi heat, stir to saute and then lower heat and cover with lid for ~5 minutes or until veg starts to soften. Add in garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3. Add in meat, beans, stock and bring to a boil then simmer.  Add in pasta and kale a few minutes before you are ready to serve.

This is such a clean and cozy crowd pleaser and tastes amazing as leftovers.  You could sub leftover turkey for the sausage after Thanksgiving!

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